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Community Support Expands Science Booster Clubs’ Reach

In 2017, NCSE’s Science Booster Club program expanded nationally, providing free, engaging educational opportunities to more than 120,000 people in ten states: Iowa, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Virginia, Ohio, West Virginia, Indiana, Maryland, Tennessee, and Texas. Our teacher micro-grant program also went national, with grant opportunities expanding beyond Iowa to all the states where booster clubs are active. Booster club members locally raised and awarded ten micro-grants to teachers in six states. These local fundraising efforts allowed teachers to purchase basic equipment such as scales and thermometers, which their districts could not afford to purchase, to enhance their science education experiences. In all, 3,400 students had enriched science learning experiences because of the impact of the micro-grants.

Those of us who coordinate the science booster clubs are inspired by the number of individuals, supporting organizations and institutions, as well as local businesses that came forward this past year to directly support the science booster clubs in their communities. We’d like to thank everyone who supported our grassroots community events, many of which were in Iowa. My sincere hope is that our work in Iowa will provide a national model for growth and change. As we have seen through the success of our national expansion, that process has already begun.

Our partner in developing our initial science booster clubs in Iowa deserves special recognition. The University of Iowa provided interns who helped launch science booster clubs, helped us access supplies and technology equipment, and provided space for our staff and volunteers. Our enduring public-private partnership has provided significant service in education to the people of Iowa, and a model for national service.

Our partner at the University of Iowa, Maurine Neiman, was granted additional NSF funds to support graduate student work on the Science Booster Club Program. Neiman’s support, energy, and incredible ground efforts as well as those of her team, have translated into not only significant funding, but also being recognized for their evolution outreach efforts by receiving the 2017 T. H. Huxley award given by the Society for the Study of Evolution.

For the second year in a row, IDT supported our summer camp in Iowa and allowed our students to tour the company’s facility. We appreciate this opportunity for real-life career modeling for youth who participated in our summer camp.

Steve and Kathie Jenkins

A generous donation from Steve and Kathie Jenkins enabled a veteran intern in Iowa to continue and expand the activities of the Iowa City Science Booster Club over the summer, while I transitioned to NCSE headquarters in Oakland.

The UU Church of Ventura gave to our internship program, which contributes to graduate student support at the University of Iowa. Our graduate student interns work hard on the ground, running exhibits at locations throughout the state and teaching kids at our summer camp. The congregation’s kind gift not only helped a student, but helped that student reach thousands of other people.

The ESEB has provided significant financial support to the SBC Program since 2016. This year’s funding has contributed to the development of new evolution-focused exhibits, with an emphasis on the needs of agricultural communities.